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'G ro ><cr OF CONORCS^ IHTHCYEAIt laOl ay Jrnr .Inuu^n^ .IfTcn ,,o„.,r„o, .., _-V /«/ ri,! nrc^c^r r^c ,,«,,.. ... «.. - 

■<, IN THi Office OF T/ie iiaRAm/tN 01= C/ianeij/ir u/iftmSToN . 



^NTtl^ED ^CCOHDINO TO Acr Of C°NGBfiS IN7Hi YEAK ISfl. By Jsi^e.JOHNSON.Jireo lIBeUT/ ST, NBMYOK^, 



TiTlEQUARAHTeE&TRU5TC£>; 

55 LIBERTY ST., New York. 26 COURT ST., Brooklyn. 

Capital paid in, -, - $3,000,000 

Surplus, - - - 441,293 

Examines and Guarantees Titles 

TO feEjPs-L ESTjOlTE. 



^he ]^j4.irES ^°^ EXAMINATION, guarantee and searches, in New York, 
V are $65 on the first $3,000, and $5 on each additional $i,oop. 

No "Extras" for Searches. In Brooklyn, they are $40 on the first $2,000, and 
$5 on each additional $1,000. No " ExTR.\s " pffk Searches. 



The steady progress of the Company- in the confidence of the public is shown bv 
the following 

^ COIVlF=>QyRA-ri\/E: S "TAX E IVI E IM T. 

For 1888. For 1889. For 1890. 

Income from title insurance and search business. $152,099 $368,434 $480,925 

dumber of Mortgages furnished to Investors - - .34^ 849 1,340 

Afonnt of Mortgages furnished to Investors - - - $3,195, 3^5 $6,697,288 $12,919,591 



CO U INJ S E l_: 

Stephen P. Nash, Rich.\rd Ixgr.\h.\m, (George F. Demarest, Neweli; Martin. 



t f* u st e e s : 

George G. Williams, Eugene Kelly, .Alexander E Orr, Orlando B. Potter, 

John T. Martin, James D. Lynch, William M. Ingraham, Hugo Wesendonck, 

William H. Male, Julien T. Davies, John Jacob Astor, John Forsyth, 

Benjamin D. Hicks, Emil Oelbermann, Martin Joost, John D. Hicks, 

Ellis D. Williams, Samuel T. Freeman, Charles R. Henderson, William Trautwink. 

CH.4RLES M.\tlack, Charles^Richardsqn, 

JOHN W. MIRRAY, PRESIDENT. C. H. KELSEY, Vice-PreSIDENT. 

I.oriS WINDMULLER, Treasurer. 



FRANK F.AILEY, 2D Yice-PrESIdent. LOUIS Y. BRIGHT, Secretary. 

as 



T(J the millions of thrifty souls who are ambi- 
tious to live in homes of their own, this 
book is respectfully dedicated by the author, in 
the hope that it will help some of them to reach 
the goal for which they are striving. 

JERE. JOHNSON, Jr. 




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X 



Introduction. 



In the following pages will be found a few personal reminiscences, 
covering a quarter of a century; an unvarnished description of the six attract- 
ive properties I am now offering for sale ; a short explanatory article about 
mutual building and loan associations ; and a number of practical designs for 
beautiful homes. 

I have endeavored to render every statement clear, simple and truthful 
— avoiding all exaggeration. 

By referring to the maps I have had prepared, the exact location of 
the different suburbs can be seen at a glance. 

JERE. JOHNSON, Jr., 

60 Liberty St., New York, 

189 & 191 Montague St., Brooklyn. 













In tlie hope that the time will soon come when everyone 
will have a home of his own, 

I am very respectfully, 




A FEW PERSONAL REMINISCENCES. 



I was born in the year 1827, in the old Johnson homestead, in what 
is now the 19th Ward of the City of Brooklyn, and near where the Naval 
Hospital stands. I am Dutch to the very backbone, being- directly descended 
from Sarah Rapelje, who was the first white child born in the New Nether- 
lands. The Dutch authorities, recognizing what an honor this was, granted 
the girl a large tract of land at the Wallabout. When she married in 1647, 
her husband presented her with a curiously wrought silver tankard, which has 
ever since been in the possession of the Johnson family, and which is con- 
sidered one of the most valuable heirlooms in America. 

My great-grandfather served bravely in the Revolutionary war as an 
officer in the Kings County Militia, and, for a man in moderate circumstances, is 
said to have loaned large sums to the patriot cause. His son, Major-General 
Jeremiah Johnson, is remembered as a statesman, soldier, scholar and church- 
man. He was thrice Mayor of Brooklyn, and was elected four times to the 
State Legislature. During the latter part of the war of 181 2, he commanded 
the troops stationed at Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Barnet Johnson, my father, 
was a man of singularly pure and upright character, and was one of Brook- 
lyn's foremost citizens. 

And now a few words about my own career. Upon attaining my 
majority, I engaged in the lumber business, which I left in 1866 to become 
what I now am, a real estate broker and auctioneer, I at once saw what 
great possibilities there were in suburban property, owing to the phenomenal 
growth of New York and Brooklyn, and, although I have always done a 
largre greneral business, I have made the selling of home sites in the outskirts 
of the two great cities my specialty. 

The real estate men of the day were of an exceedingly conservative 
character. I threw aside the old, worn-out traditions. Taking for my motto, 
the proverb, " He who sees with his eyes believes in his heart," I held my 
great auctions on the very properties I had to dispose of, in order that every- 
one might know exactly what he was buying. Ordinary land sales are, as a 
rule, monotonous and tiresome. To render mine as enjoyable as possible, I 
introduced the then novel features of having music by such well-known military 
bands as those of the 7th and 23d Regiments, and of serving a really good 
lunch in my mammoth tent before starting the bidding. 



A number of years ago, I noticed that there were thousands of wage 
earners who were anxious to buy home sites or to invest their savings in 
real estate, but who were unable to pay all at once for what they desired. 
To meet this demand, I secured control of some very choice property just 
beyond the Brooklyn city line ; I issued free railroad passes in order that 
everyone might examine it, and I offered it in lots at low prices and on 
small monthly payments. The idea took, for in the last half decade I have 
sold over 20,000 lots on the monthly installment plan. This year I have 
even gone a step further, for at Corona and Demorest-on-the-Hilltops I am 
selling splendid home sites on weekly paytnents. 

I have always been an optimist on the subject of advertising. Last 
summer it cost me in round figures, $100,000 to make known the merits of 
my properties through the medium of the press. Right here let me mention 
my flag, which has become so intimately associated with my name. There Is 
not such another flag in the whole world. It heads most of my "ads," 
and is known wherever the New York and Brooklyn papers are read. It was 
designed for me by a very clever artist, and attracts the attention of all by 
reason of its simplicity and beauty. It is now protected against unscrupulous 
imitators by a decision of the Supreme Court. 

I think that I can truthfully say I have sold a larger number of lots than 
any man that has ever lived ; for, during the last quarter of a century, I have 
disposed of, either at private sale or under the hammer, at least 200,000 
suburban lots, representing fully $50,000,000, exclusive of hundreds of millions 
of dollars worth of city real estate. Most of my operations have been con- 
fined to the States of New York and New Jersey, though now and then I 
have sold property in distant parts of the country. In 1886, for instance, I 
conducted a series of very successful auctions at Los Angeles, California. 

The future of our land and city is a subject that has always appealed 
most forcibly to me. I remember the United States when it contained only 
12,000,000 inhabitants. New York City 200,000, and Brooklyn 25,000. 

Let me picture for a moment Brooklyn in 1835, when its population 
was scattered between Fulton Ferry and Atlantic Avenue, and when it did not 
extend much further than the present City Hall. Then the Common Council, 
as well as the different Courts, met in the Apprentices' Library Building, on 
the corner of Henry and Cranberry Streets. Williamsburg was a hamlet, 
Greenpoint contained only half a dozen farmhouses, and Hunter's Point but 
one. There were no railroads or omnibuses, and only a couple of hackmen. 
I have often crossed the East River in boats propelled by horses. The 
streets were lighted with oil, the dwellings with candles. Happy were the 
families that lived near a public pump, for there was no other water supply. 
Telegraphs, telephones, and indeed most of the modern labor-saving necessi- 
ties, were unknown. By night, a few watchmen, called leather-heads, guarded 
the city, and by day the constables kept order. 

In 1835, New York only extended to Second Street, and, except as 
regards point of size, was very little in advance of her smaller sister. The 



last fifty years, however, have brought about great changes. Our country 
has increased in population five-fold. New York ten-fold, and Brooklyn thirty- 
fold, and yet all three are still in their infancy. New York and Brooklyn 
have become rivals of the great European capitals, as far as wealth, learning 
and refinement are concerned, and are sure in the next few years to be con- 
solidated into one great city. 

Thousands of children are now living, who will see this the Rome of 
the 20th Century. Before 1950 it will contain a population of over 8,000,000 
souls, and will embrace the counties of New York, Kings, Westchester, 
Queens and Richmond. This vast area will be densely peopled. The 
facilities for going from one part of the city to another will be far beyond 
anything our minds can now grasp. There will certainly be no surface rail- 
roads, for all tracks will be elevated or depressed. Scores of bridges will span 
the North and East Rivers, while beneath their waters numerous tunnels will 
have been constructed. All machinery will be run by electricity, of which 
subtle force we are just beginning to know something. 

New York will be the financial center of the world, as well as the 
center of intellectual and social life. Its magnificent public buildings and parks, 
its museums and art galleries, its theatres and coliseums, will render it the 
Mecca of all travelers. Rich and poor will delight to live within its limits. 

If anyone is inclined to ridicule me for making such a bold prophecy, 
I will remind him that Voltaire once called Sir Isaac Newton a " poor dotard," 
for daring to affirm that the time would come when men would travel 
at the rate of twenty miles an hour. Sixty miles in sixty minutes is an ordi- 
nary thing now-a-days. In conclusion, let me say that no one in the year 
of grace 1891 can begin to picture the wonderful things the future has in 
store for us. 

JERK. JOHNSON, Jr. 






HOW I SELL MY PROPERTIES. 



Before describingr my properties minutely, I wish to present a few pre- 
liminary statements. As I have said before. I ask everyone before buying to 
make a careful personal examination of my lots. If this is done, there can 
be no deception. You see just how the land lies and all its advantages and 
disadvantages — provided you can find any disadvantages. Free passes to and 
from all properties will be cheerfully furnished on application." 

All lots may be paid for in Monthly Installments. If it is desired, 
Weekly Payments will be accepted at Corona and Demorest-on-the-Hilltops. 
Every purchase must be completed in two years from the date of signing the 
contract ; and installments are graded accordingly. Where all cash is paid, a 
discount of ten per cent, will be allowed, except at Kensington Heights and 
Lefferts Park, where the discount is five per cent. 

The title to every lot is insured without any expense to the buyer, by 
the Title Guarantee & Trust Company of New York, with its immense capital 
and surplus of $2,500,000. This makes the purchaser absolutely secure, and 
does away with all necessity of lawyers. It also renders subsequent transfers 
both easy and inexpensive. 

Rain or shine, my representatives will always be found on the different 
properties. Remember, I sell my lots on their merits alone. 




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O^siii^ 



MORRIS PARK. 



Lots for $150 apiece and upwards, and on Monthly Installments. 

All who travel to any extent on the Long Island Railroad have con- 
tracted a peculiar habit. Several miles this side of Jamaica is the suburb of 
Morris Park. As the train stops here, newspapers and novels are for the 
moment laid aside, and everyone looks out of the window. The reason for 
this at once becomes apparent, for spread out before the delighted eyes of 
the passengers is one of the most charming and picturesque views imaginable. 
The universal exclamation is : " What a pretty place ! what beautiful cottages 
what refined surroundings ! " 

Morris Park is situated at the junction of the Atlantic Avenue and the 
main divisions of the Long 
Island Railroad, and is about 
seven miles, or twenty min- 
utes, from either Flatbush 
Avenue or Hunter's Point. 

At Morris Park you 
have no long and tiresome 
wait when you wish to take 
the cars. Through trains 
and "rapids" run at all 
hours of the day and night 
and on very short head- 
way. A commutation ticket 
for one year costs only $47, 
which, excluding Sundays, 
is at the rate of seven cents 
a single trip. On each di- 
vision there is a neat sta- 
tion, in keeping with the 
general character o f the 
place. 

The Brooklyn and 
Jamaica Electric Railroad, 
which, as its name indi- 




MY OFFICE AT MORRIS PARK. 



cates, runs from Brooklyn to Jamaica, skirts one side of the property, and thus 
adds to the accessibility. 

The near future has great things in store for Morris Park in the way 
of additional rapid transit facilities. The Long Island Railroad is soon to extend 
its tracks from Flatbush Avenue to South Ferry, the idea being to connect there 
with the proposed " Corbin Tunnel" under the East River. The Kings County 
and the Brooklyn-Union Elevated Railroads are, moreover, pushing forward 
toward Jamaica just as fast as circumstances will permit, and will eventually 
pass through or close to Morris Park. When all this is accomplished real 
estate here will be worth many times what is now asked for it. 

The surroundings of Morris Park are all that any one can ask. On 
one side is Richmond Hill, with its handsome houses and churches, and a 
picturesque range of hills in the background. A few miles to the east is the 
famous old town of Jamaica while a broad boulevard runs in a southerly 
direction to Jamaica Bay. 

The whole region is high and dry and is the healthiest part of Long 
Island. The air is delightfully cool and refreshing, and the breezes that come 
sweeping in from the ocean are freighted with ozone. To quote old Joanna 
Baillie : 

" This pure air 
Braces the feeble nerves and warms the blood. 
I feel in freedom here." 




VIEW ON LEFFERTS AVENVE AT MORRIS PARK, LOOKING NORTH. 




THE KEW PUBLIC SCHOOL, THE FINEST IN gCEENS COUNTY, ON MY PROPERTY AT MORRIS PARK. 

Morris Park has long since passed the embryo state. It is fully developed 
and adequately restricted ; and no expense has been spared in rendering it the 
ideal among suburbs. Any number of beautiful residences in all styles of modern 
architecture, and costing from $3,000 to $12,000, have been built by former pur- 
chasers. These charming homes, a few of which are shown in the illustrations, 
are encircled by glistening lawns embellished by bright flower beds. The streets 
and avenues are well kept and are bordered with superb shade trees — real shade 
trees, none of your little two-for-a-cent saplings that die as soon as planted. 

Morris Park possesses every Nineteenth Century convenience. An elegant 
new public school, the finest in the whole county, has just been erected on the 
property, at a cost of over $15,000. Good stores and churches are of course close 
by. Several miles of stone sidewalks have already been laid. Water mains are 
found in all the streets. It is expected that electric lights will soon be intro- 
duced. An efficient fire department gives one a reassuring feeling of security. 
There are telegraph offices in both depots. 

The residents here are refined, agreeable people, and you may rest assured 
that you will always have congenial neighbors. A "Citizens' Improvement Com- 
mittee " has been formed among the property owners, and this is constantly on 
the outlook for whatever will add to the attractiveness of the place. 

At Morris Park there are splendid facilities for all kinds of amusements ; 
games like tennis and croquet may be indulged in ''ad lihitiDii." The driving in 



13 




RESIDENCE OF MR. (JEORUE STARRITT, AT MORRIS PARK. 




RESIDENCES OF MR. JAMES MCENERV AND MR. C. H. JllkDAX?, JR., AT Ml.lRKl> PARK. 



the vicinity is excellent. Morris Park boasts a cozy little club house where the 
members while away many a long winter's evening. Such another place for 
children cannot be found the wide world over; and a puny girl or boy at 
Morris Park is as rare a sight as a white crow. 
In this spot, 

"Where nature spreads her fruittul sweetness round, 
Breathes on the air and broods upon the ground," 

even the most fastidious are sure to be suited. If you are a man of moderate 
means, and yet desirous of living in a refined neighborhood, you should apply at 
once to me for complimentary passes and visit Morris Park. My agent will 
always be found in the office directly opposite the station on the Atlantic 
Avenue branch of the Long Island Railroad. The prices of the lots range from 
$150 apiece up, according to the location, and may be paid for in installments. 






KENSINGTON HEIGHTS. 

Lots $250 apiece and upwards, and on Monthly Installments. 

Kensington has a charming name — a name, however, of which all this 
section is well worthy. The lots I am selling are splendidly located in the 
Town of Flatbush, just beyond the Brooklyn city line, on 39th, 40th, 41st, 42nd, 
43rd, 44th, 45th, 46th, 47th, Hast Second, East Third, and West Streets; Graves- 
end and 1 6th Avenues, and Avenues D, E, and F. These streets and avenues 
are all well made, and every lot is ready to be built upon at once. The land 
is high and dry, with perfect natural drainage, and is as level as a billiard table. 

Every part of the property is supplied with water in mains, and miles 
upon miles of substantial stone sidewalks have been laid. Several Gas and Elec- 
tric Light companies are now quarreling in the Legislature for the privilege of 
lighting this section. 

Methodist, Presbyterian, Dutch Reformed, Episcopalian, Congregational 
and Roman Catholic churches, as well as excellent schools, both public and 
private, are all close by. 




VIEW OF PARKVILLE FKIIM MY KENSINGTUX HEIGHTS PROl'ERTV. 

The poet Thomson says somewhere that " Health is the vital principle 
of bliss." If this be so, the resident here ought to be a very happy man, for 
Kensington is proverbial for its healthfulness. 

The surroundings of Kensington are simply delightful. Towards the 
north are seen the comfortable cottages of West Brooklyn, and in the distance 
Brooklyn itself; and towards the south the churches and houses of Parkville. 
39th street is being laid out as a boulevard from Brooklyn to Kensington. 
Prospect Park, with its beautiful walks and drives, its sylvan glens and nooks, 
its glistening lakes and meadows, is about a mile distant. My property runs 
to within half a block of the incomparable Ocean Parkway, the finest drive in 
America. 

Right here is the very best and most fashionable part of the Ocean 
Parkway, and it is right here that such famous business men as Peter H. 
McNulty, J. D. W. Sherman, J. J. Edwards, J. F. Graham, J. F. W. Leslie and 
James Armstrong have erected palatial mansions, costing from $6,000 to $25,000 
apiece. Some of the gentlemen living hereabouts have just contracted for a 
Casino where they and their friends can bowl, play tennis and badminton, 
or indulge in similar innocent and health-giving pastimes to their hearts' 
content. 

One of the first questions a prudent man asks when he examines a piece 
of suburban real estate is, "How about the train service?" The rapid transit 
facilities of Kensington would satisfy not only such a man, but also the most 
chronic and dyspeptic grumbler. 

Kensington Heights can easily be reached from the Brooklyn Bridge 
inside of twenty-five minutes by taking the Fifth Avenue Elevated Railroad and 
changing at the Union Station, 36th Street and Fifth Avenue, for the Prospect 
Park and Coney Island (Culver's) Railroad. The latter line has recently built, 
right on my property, an expensive new depot, probably the most artistic and 
stylish on Long Island. 



16 



The great cut of the South Brooklyn Railroad and Terminal Company 
through 38th Street has been completed for some time, and it is confidently 
expected that trains will soon run direct from Kensington to the 39th Street 
Ferry for the foot of Whitehall Street, New York. This ferry, which, with its 
splendid equipment, is universally admitted to be the finest in the country, will 
then be about five minutes from the property. 

Accessibility, charming surroundings, health — these are some of the 
inducements Kensington holds out to the home-seeker, who should remember 
that, if he buys a plot of ground and wishes to build, but does not possess the 
ready money, he can readily borrow the requisite amount from any reputable 
building and loan association. 




STATION OF THE PROSPECT PARK AND CONEY ISLAND (CULVER's) RAILROAD, ON MY KENSINGTON 

HEIGHTS PROPERTY. 



17 




RESIDENCE OF MR. PETER H. M^NULTY, AT KENSINGTON. 



To the investor the property must appeal just as forcibly as to the 
home-seeker. Flatbush will soon become the 27th Ward of Brooklyn. Taxa- 
tion is very light. The whole region is being developed at a phenomenal rate. 
The splendid improvements on the Martense Farm and at West Brooklyn are 
in the immediate vicinity. 

Lots may be purchased at Kensington Heights as low as $250 apiece 
and may be paid for in monthly installments. To fully appreciate the prop- 
erty, you should come to me for free passes and examine it at your earliest 
convenience. " The sleeping fox catches no poultry," and you may never again 
have such a chance to lay out your savings to so great advantage. Rain or 
shine, my agent will always be on hand at the Kensington depot to show 
the lots. 



18 



LEFFERTS PARK. 

Lots from $200 apiece up, on Monthly Installments. 

Lefferts Park is situated in one of the pleasantest parts of tlie Town 
of New Utrecht, and is only a short distance beyond the Brooklyn City Line. 
To be more definite, the lots I am selling are on 64th, 65th, 66th, 67th and 
70th Streets, and 13th, 14th, 15th, Bay Ridge, Ovington and New Utrecht 
Avenues. 

LefYerts Park is reached from the Battery, New York, in thirty minutes, 
via the 39th Street Ferry and the new Electric Line of the Brooklyn City 
Railroad Company, which has just been completed, and which runs from the 
39th Street Ferry past Lefferts Park to Gravesend Bay. The fare from the 
property to the ferry is oii/y Jive cents. 

The best way to go from Lefferts Park to the Brooklyn Bridge is to 
take the Brooklyn, Bath and West End Railroad, which has a station at 
Lefferts Park, and transfer at the magnificent Union Depot, 36th Street and 
Fifth Avenue, for the Brooklyn Elevated Railroad. By this route the time 
to the Bridge is only twenty-five minutes. 

Before long the trains of the Brooklyn, Bath and West End Railroad 
will also run into the immense station of the South Brooklyn Railroad and 




CHURCH AT LEFFERTS PARK. 



Terminal Company at the foot of 39th Street. This will give additional rapid 
transit facilities ; and in the future will help open up the section, in which 
Lefferts Park occupies the most favored position, to all the advantages accru- 
ing from the proposed tunnels and other similar enterprises. 

From all of the above it will readily be perceived that Lefferts Park 
is much more accessible for the business man or artisan, be his hours early or 
late, than over half of the cities of New York and Brooklyn. 

"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." Lefferts Park is 
rendered doubly attractive owing to the fact that it is within a five minutes' 
ride by several different railroads of the famous seaside resorts of Coney Island 
and Bath Beach with their innumerable attractions. 

Lefferts Park lies on high ground, naturally well drained, the soil being 
very absorbent ; consequently it is free from malaria, fever, and similar dis- 
eases. The air, fresh and bracing from the ocean, is tempered and moderated 
by the pretty wooded ridge to the north. From several points on the prop- 
erty magnificent views of Gravesend Bay and also of the Atlantic may be 
obtained. 

Simple but comprehensive restrictions assure to Lefferts Park a good 
class of dwellings, those already built and occupied sufficiently indicating the 
character the neighborhood will always bear. A number of these comfortable 
and tasty houses have been erected with money borrowed from mutual build- 
ing and loan associations. Churches, stores and schools are found either on 
the property itself or immediately adjoining it. 

Water of the purest kind is obtainable at Lefferts Park, and, judging 
from the character of the subsoil, which forms a perfect natural filter, this 
will be free for years to come from all contamination. The probabilities are, 
moreover, that within a few months running water in pipes will be supplied 
all over the property at prices about the same as in Brooklyn. 

The sale of lots at Lefferts Park has been phenomenal, but some two 
hundred still remain. These are on the side nearest the new Electric Railroad, 
now in operation, and constitute the cream of the property. The exact route 
of this line was not known till last fall, so the first-comers naturally bought 
as close as possible to the Brooklyn, Bath and West End Railroad. 

Now is the time to free yourself from the burden of paying rent, and 
to become your own landlord. Buy a lot, join a good building and loan 
association, and in a few years you will be able to have a home which will 
be all your own. 

Lots may still be purchased at Lefferts Park for $200 apiece and 
upward, payable in monthly installments, or with a discount of five per cent, 
for all cash. Whenever you can leave your business for an afternoon, visit 
the property, for the trip will certainly be an enjoyable and profitable one. 
My office is on the corner of 66th Street and New Utrecht Avenue, and here 
my agent will always be found. Remember that the fare from Lefferts Park 
to the 39th Street Ferry, on the new Electric Line of the Brooklyn City 
Railroad Company, is only five cents. 




HOUSE OF MR. W. \V. WASHBURN, AT LEFFERTS PARK. THIS COMFORTABLE DWELLING WAS BUILT 
FROM ONE OF MY "DESIGNS FOR BEAUTIFUL HOMES," AND COST ABOUT $2,000. 




RESIDENCE OF MR. P. H. PAGES, AT LEFFERTS PARK. 

21 



CORONA 

Choice Lots as low as $75 apiece on installments of One Dollar 

a week and upward. 

Corona is a Latin word meaning- crown ; and the village is most appro- 
priately named, for Corona is the crown of all the numerous suburbs on the 
North Side Division of the Long Island Railroad. Corona is four miles from 
Long Island City, and two miles this side of Flushing. It has the best train 
service of any place on Long- Island, for all trains stop here, and there are 
trains almost every half hour. Commutation is at the rate of a little over 
six cents a trip. New York City can be reached from Corona in about 
twenty five minutes. 

In a comparatively short time, Long Island City will be connected with 
New York by a bridge across the East River, and also by a tunnel under it. 
These great enterprises are not mere castles in the air, for rich and powerful 
companies have been organized to carry them through. _ When either one is 
completed you will be able to go without change from Corona to the very 
heart of the metropolis. It is needless to say that whatever lots you buy 
now will then be worth many times what I am to-day selling them for. 

Corona is a village of some 3,000 inhabitants. It is noted for its 
healthfulness, and it is said that the local doctors cannot find enough to do 
to keep them busy. Corona possesses every convenience. There are excellent 
public schools, one of which, the best for miles around, is within a few yards 
of my lots. The churches include the Union Evangelical Church, which 
has the largest Sunday School in Queens County, two Methodist Chapels, 
and a Catholic Church. The stores are unexceptionably good, and there 
are several large manufactories giving employment to hundreds of hands. 
Property is protected by an efficient fire department, supplemented by a 
system of electric alarms. The most noteworthy thing about Corona, how- 
ever, is that it is a place where almost every one, from the humble mechanic 
to the rich Wall Street broker, owns the house in which he lives. 

Splendidly located on a commanding elevation and in the very best part 
of Corona is the property I have just put on the market. The walk to the 
station is a delightful one, and is sure to be appreciated by the tired business 
man or woman cooped up all day in a close office or workshop. 



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THE UNION EVANGELICAL CHURCH AT CORONA. 



Many of my lots command charming views of Flushing Bay, which is 
a scant half mile distant, and which affords splendid facilities for every kind 
of aquatic sport. Jackson Avenue, macadamized all the way from Flushing 
to Long Island City, and by far the finest drive in the neighborhood, passes 
through the property. In the immediate vicinity are many handsome resi- 
dences, among which may be mentioned those of C. D. Leverich, John Colton, 
and Frederick Schushardt. On the highest elevation of the property is the 
Grinnell mansion, which I am willing to dispose of at a low figure and on 



24 



reasonable terms. This elegant house is exceedingly commodious and is com- 
pletely appointed in every particular. 

Here in this desirable location, I am selling choice lots, all ready to be 
built upon, for $^j apiece and upward, payable in weekly instalhnents. 
Perhaps at this point you will throw my book one side, saying : " How 
ridiculous! Jere. Johnson, Jr., may have good lots for three hundred or four 
hundred dollars apiece, but he hasn't for $75." All I reply is, don't take 
my word alone for the above statement, but apply to me for free passes and 
go to Corona and see for yourself just what my property is like. 

You have probably heard the old saying, " Silks and satins, scarlets and 
velvets put out the kitchen fire." Bear this in mind and be economical. 
Give up some of your luxuries, put aside a few cents every day, and buy a 
lot at Corona on which to build a home. I assure you that this will be an 
investment you will never regret. 




THE GRINNELL MANSION ON MV CORONA PROPERTY. 



25 



DEMOREST-ON-THE-HILLTOPS, 

(NEAR RAHWAY.) 

Very desirable lots from $25 apiece up, payable in installments of One 

Dollar a week and upward. 

Last summer, I offered 1,255 lots at Flushing, Long Island, at prices 
ranging from twenty-five to one hundred dollars apiece. In four months 
every square inch of ground was sold, thus convincing me that the masses 
are after cheap property — provided, of course, it has good surroundings and 
is accessible. In order to supply this demand I recently secured control of a 
magnificent tract of land in New Jersey overlooking the flourishing city of Rah- 
way. I have named this property Demorest-on-the-Hilltops ; and, as it was 
purchased at a great bargain, I can here sell really choice lots for twenty-five 
dollars apiece and upward, and on weekly installments. 

Demorest forms a magnificent plateau and is the highest ground for many 
miles around Rahway. The views from the property are simply superb. The 
city of Rahway lies right at your feet. Elizabeth, Newark, Westfield and Menlo 
Park (where Edison, the wizard of the Nineteenth Century, has his workshops) 
are in plain sight. Towards the south rise the Orange Mountains ; and in the 
opposite direction are seen the glistening waters of the historic Kill Von Kull, 
and in the background the verdure-clad hills of Staten Island. At niorht the 

o o 

light from the Statue of Liberty gives one an agreeable assurance that he is not 
very far removed from the throbbing activity of the metropolis. 

Demorest is well developed. The streets are all made, and well made too. 
Remsen Avenue, the thoroughfare of the property, is a splendid driveway over a 
mile long. Many beautiful residences are in the immediate neighborhood and 
there is an excellent public school within a hundred feet. Owing to its com- 
manding elevation and to the remarkable purity of its water supply, there is 
no healthier spot in all Union County. 

On the property are four well-built houses which will be sold on very easy 
terms. One of these, the Saunders homestead, is an exceedingly handsome and 
roomy dwelling. 

The city of Rahway is about a mile from Demorest. Rahway is a manu- 
facturing center of no mean importance. There are immense carriage and shirt 
factories, as well as printing press and felt works. These give employment to 
thousands of hands, and the man who makes his home at Demorest-on-the-Hill- 
tops need never fear lack of work. Rahway is also noted for its handsome 
churches, its flourishing schools, and its well-managed stores. One of the best 

26 




STATION AT AVENEL, ON THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD, A QUARTER OF A MILE FROM DEMOREST- 

ON-THE-HILLTOPS. 




THE SAUNDERS HOMESTEAD AT DEMOREST-ON-THE-HILLTOPS. 

27 




MAP SHOWING THE LOCATION OF 
DEMOREST ON-THE-HILLTOPS. 



^ equipped public libraries in the state is 
located here. The city possesses, of course, 
such other conveniences as water and gas 
mains, sewers, electric lights, banks, and 
building and loan associations. 

The Pennsylvania, universally ad- 
mitted to be the finest railroad in America, 
both as regards road-bed and train service 
is the line you take to get to Demorest-on- 
the Hilltops. The pretty little depot at 
Avenel is witliin a quarter of a mile of my lots, with which it is connected by 
a broad avenue lined on either side with magnificent old trees. There is another 
station at Houtenville, half a mile from Demorest, while Rahway Junction is 
only about twice as far. 

Demorest is the ideal location for the tens of thousands of artisans, 
mechanics, and salaried men, whose business calls them to Elizabeth, Newark 
and Jersey City, for these great manufacturing places can be reached in a 
comparatively short time and at trifling expense. The "commutation to New 
York, which is within an hour's ride, is at the rate of about twenty-five cents 
a day, which sum, mind you, includes ferriage. 

Once more I wish to say that I have A No. i lots at Demorest-on-the- 
Hilltops for %2j apiece and upward, payable in weekly installments. In the 
whole history of real estate no property, worth the taking, has ever before been 
offered at such figures. Remember that these are not swamp or wood lots, miles 
of¥ in the wilderness, but lots high and dry, and in a beautiful and accessible suburb 
of New York. Free passes will be cheerfully furnished yourself and friends, on 
application, in order that all may inspect Demorest-on the-Hilltops and verify every 
statement I have made. 




A BIT OF SCENERV NEAR DEMOREST-ON-THE-HILLTOPS. 



THE FERGUSON FARM.-OCEAN PARKWAY. 

Lots from $200 up, on Monthly Installments. 

This unexceptionally desirable property is located on the Ocean Parkway, 
about midway between Prospect Park and Coney Island, and directly opposite 
Howe's Hotel. 

The Ocean Parkway is one of Brooklyn's greatest attractions, and every 
pleasant afternoon thousands upon thousands drive through the sylvan loveliness 
of Prospect Park and then out on its broad surface. The Ocean Parkway is 
five and a half miles long- and two hundred and ten feet in width, and in technical 
language is " teferdized." The Park Commissioners have entire charge of it, and 
it is daily sprinkled and rolled at the public expense. On each side of the Park- 
way are three rows of the most magnificent shade trees on Long Island ; and, to 
borrow the words of a great poet, " The place seems all awave with trees." 

One of the first things that impresses an observant man as he takes a spin 
down this incomparable boulevard is, that he has never seen a finer location in 
which to build a home. As far as natural beauties and advantages are concerned, 
the much lauded Fifth Avenue cannot hold a candle to the Ocean Parkway. Yet, 
strange as it may appear, lots on Fifth Avenue often bring as much as $100,000 
apiece, while on the Ocean Parkway they may still be purchased for a few hun- 
dred dollars. 




THE PUBLIC i^CHOOL DIRECTLY OPPOSITE THE FERGUSON FARM. 

29 




RESIDENCE OF MR. THOMAS FERGUSON, IMMEDIATELY ADJOINING MY OCEAN PARKWAY PROPERTY. 



The reason for this wonderful difference in price may be partially explained 
as follows : Up to within very recently there were no good rapid transit facilities 
between the property along the Parkway and Brooklyn. This drawback, how- 
ever, has at last been removed and the whole section rendered extremely accessi- 
ble. All this especially applies to the Ferguson Farm. The Coney Island and 
Brooklyn Electric Line passes the easterly side of the property ; and, for a five- 
cent fare, brings one whizzing down in less than no time to Prospect Park. Here 
the passengers change for the Smith and Jay Street Horse Cars running to the 
]3rooklyn Bridge and Hamilton and Fulton Ferries. An electric road is also 
projected along one side of the Parkway. 

The Prospect Park and Coney Island (Culver's) Railroad has a station on 
Gravesend Avenue, about a quarter of a mile from the lots. By taking this line 
and transferring at the great Union Depot, 36th Street and Fifth Avenue, for 
the Brooklyn Elevated Railroad, the resident here can easily reach the Bridge 
in thirty-five minutes. When trains are run through the costly cut of the South 
Brooklyn Railroad and Terminal Company, as they probably soon will be, the 
Ferguson Farm will be within ten minutes of the 39th Street Ferry. 

Sanitary experts have pronounced this section to be one of the healthiest 
parts of Long Island; and it is constantly fanned by refreshing ocean breezes. 
Coney Island is very accessible from the property, for whenever you feel inclined to 
take a dip in the surf, or a stroll along the beach, all you have to do is to jump into 
the electric cars and in a few minutes you will find yourself by " the salt sea waves." 



On the Ocean Parkway, and directly opposite the Ferguson Farm, is 
Hiram W. Howe's. This famous hostelry is patronized by the best people in New 
York and Brooklyn, and here is found, as Mr. Browning puts it, " The best of 
welcomes, taste refined." A large public school on Coney Island Avenue is also 
opposite the property. Churches, stores, and other schools are found within a 
convenient distance ; but the resident here need not depend on any of these, for 
Brooklyn is so near and so easily reached that he can avail himself of the splendid 
religious, mercantile and educational advantages of that great city. Immediately 
adjoining the property is the palatial mansion and beautifully laid-out grounds of 
Mr. Thomas Ferguson. 

Living in this neighborhood is very cheap. Taxes are low and the assess- 
ments for building the Parkway have long since been paid. The lots on the east 
side of East Eighth Street, and on East Seventh Street and the Ocean Parkway 
are all iio feet deep. Water mains are laid on the Parkway for its entire length. 

To sum up, no more favorable investment can possibly be found than on the 
Ferguson Farm, and it is on the Ferguson Farm that the man in search of a suita- 
ble site for a home will find just what he desires. Remember that I am still offering 
lots on this splendid property as low as $200 apiece, payable in monthly installments. 




,.-™3^ 



UNION DEPOT AT 36TH STREET AND FIFTH AVENUE, BROOKLYN, OF THE PROSPECT PARK. AND 

CONEY ISLAND (CULVF.R's) AND THE BROOKLYN, BATH AND WEST END RAILROADS. THIS 

ELEGANT DEPOT IS REACHED FROM 1 HE BROOKLYN BRIDGE BY THE FIFTH 

AVENUE ELEVATED RAILROAD IX LESS THAN TWENTY MINUTES. 



31 



MY DESIGNS FOR BEAUTIFUL HOMES. 

Every purchaser on any of my properties may select one of the designs 
shown in the following pages and I will furnish him with a full set of work- 
ing plans and specifications free of all charge. A similar set wou d cost, if 
obtained from an architect, from thirty to fifty dollars. 

My designs have been selected after the most careful consideration, my 
aim being to present only such as combine neatness, comfort and moderate 
cost. The prices quoted are actual estimates from reputable builders. 

Many of the pretty houses on the different properties I have sold in the 
past have been erected from my plans ; and they can be seen and examined 
by those interested in the subject. A large proportion of these dwellings have 
been btiilt with money borrowed from Mutual Building and Loan Associations. 

JERE. JOHNSON, Jr., 

60 LiHERTv Street, New York. 

189 & 191 MoNT.^GUE Street, Brooklyn. 



32 




NO. I. JERE. JOHNSON, JR.'s NEW $4,000 HOME. 



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38 




NO. 7. JERE. JOHNSON, JK.'s NEW $I,000 HOME. 



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39 



A SCOTTISH GEM AND ITS APPLICATION. 



"I hae seen great anas and sat in great ha's 
'Mang lords and fine ladies a' covered \vi' braws : 
At feasts made for princes wi' princes I've been, 
When the grand shine o' splendor has dazzled my e'en, 
But a sight sae delightfu' I trow I ne'er spied 
As the bonny blithe blink o' my ain fireside ; 

My ain fireside, my ain fireside, 

O, cheery's the blink o' my ain fireside ; 

My ain fireside, my ain fireside, 

O, there's naught to compare wi' ane's ain fireside.' 



What a beautiful senti- 
ment, and how beautifully 
it is expressed. I wish to 
add that no one who pays 
rent can appreciate the 
full meaning of the word 
HOME. My business is 
the supplying of suitable 
sites on which to build 
homes. If a'ou wish to 
be independent of the 
landlord, be sure you com- 
municate with me. 

My main oflice is at 
No. 60 Liberty Street, 
New York, directly oppo- 
site the New York Real 
Estate Exchange ; and 
here is transacted the 
bulk of my enormous 
business. My Brooklyn 
branch is room 204, on 
the second floor of the 
New Brooklyn Real Es- 
tate Exchange, Nos. 189 
& 191 Montague St., and 
is in charge of James 
L. Brumley, Jr. 

JERE. JOHNSON, Jr. 




THE NEW BROOKLYN REAL ESTATE EXCHANGE, 189 & I9I MONTAGUE 
STREET, AND 148 & 150 PIERREPONT STREET, BROOKLYN. 



Corona. 

Kensington. 

Morris Park. 

Lefferts Park. 

Ocean Parkway. 

Demarest-on-the-Hilltops. 



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